Main Menu

Making Music With Raymond Weil

The words ‘Raymond Weil’ and ‘music’ might not seem to be synonymous, but, in actuality, they are closer than you might think. This isn’t just hyperbole – if you look at the different watchmakers that have led the market over the last century you’ll probably notice that they all choose their partners and associations early on, and then stick to their guns. It makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Sometimes a watch is more than just a watch – sometimes it represents and enhances a much larger area of design or a particular invention. Take Breguet, for example, after they created a shockproof movement for their carriage clocks they became tied forever after to the automotive industry. Then there was the pilot Louis Blériot who hurtled through the skies in his monoplane, wearing a Zenith wristwatch and thereby married the brand with aviation. Some of this of course comes from opportunistic marketing, but mostly it has to do with a convergence between two similar creative visions.

Raymond Weil was inevitably going to incorporate music into their aesthetic simply because that was the eponymous founder’s greatest passion. That’s why you see the models of the Nabucco family being named after a Verdi opera about King Nebuchadnezzar II. It’s also why the Sinatra Collection was crafted and arranged to pay tribute to Ol’ Blue Eyes himself. Over the years the company has devoted time and resources to developing this association. They sponsored the Brit Awards for eleven years, celebrating the occasion by gifting limited-edition timepieces to nominees, presenters and performers. The result is an undeniable blend of artistry so that now Raymond Weil represents the marriage of music and horology, just like OMEGA stands for frontier exploration.

With this in mind, we chose a few of our favourite RW musical timepieces:

The Maestro Beatles Limited Edition Watch, £950

The Beatles Watch represents a unique partnership between the refined Raymond Weil brand and the four boys from Liverpool who changed the face of rock ‘n’ roll music. This breakthrough in the world of watchmaking was the prized limited edition model of the icons series, used to celebrate RW’s 40th anniversary. Powered by a mechanical, self-winding movement, it features 13 album titles between the indices, encircling a bespoke silver galvanic dial, wrapped in a 39.5mm polished steel case. Another cool touch is the black, accentuated Beatles logo and retro date window, not to mention a customised case-back of smoked sapphire crystal. If you’re lucky enough to own one of these limited edition models, you might want to keep it safe for as long as possible – they’re aren’t many in circulation.

The Nabucco Gibson Watch, £3, 495

Perhaps the most famous model from RW’s musical series, the Nabucco timepiece is enhanced by a distinct aesthetic taken from Gibson guitars, namely the self-tuning Gibson SG Standard. This model features a bold 46mm diameter steel and titanium case, protecting a striking galvanic dial in deep black. You’ll notice six grooves incorporated into the design, intended to mirror the six strings of the guitar, as well as the slanted Gibson logo, crowned by the brand emblem positioned at 12 o’clock. This bespoke RW5010 mechanical chronograph is given a moody gleam with a grey ceramic tachometer bezel and flickers of red colouration in all the right places. The watch is powered by a self-winding mechanism and 46-hour power reserve, skilfully wrought to lift the soaring standards of Swiss high technology, whilst also offering an example of how music and haute horology can work in perfect unison.

The Sinatra Limited Edition Watch, £975

To commemorate the 100th birthday of smooth, big-band legend, Frank Sinatra, this maestro model was created and imbued with a timeless aesthetic and modern automatic movement. The 38-hour power reserve and thick casing ensure that this watch is as robust as it is elegant. You’d expect no less from an homage to Ol’ Blue Eyes, who always cut a figure of effortless and unshakable cool. We love the fact that even the singer’s nickname has been taken into consideration with the blue hands, indices and date window box. Not to mention the inclusion of the Roman numeral instead of its numerical counterpart, symbolising Sinatra’s date of birth, which was December 12th. Then the design is rounded-off with a masculine leather strap, cementing the Maestro Frank Sinatra Watch’s standing, as a paragon of technical prowess and formal elegance.

Please leave a message and let us know which of these three classic models is your favourite. You’ll find all of the musical RW timepieces we’ve listed above at: www.raymond-weil.com